‘Monica Seles Was Number One in the World When She Got Stabbed’- Tennis Legend and Andre Agassi’s Wife Steffi Graf’s Legacy Questioned by Chris Evert in 2018

Steffi Graf was one of the most successful players in women’s tennis. Over the course of her long career, the German won 22 majors. She retired in 1999, and in 2001, she tied the knot with American tennis ace Andre Agassi. While Graf deservedly won most of her titles, former US tennis great Chris Evert questioned some of her titles.

In a 2018 appearance on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Evert recalled the day Monica Seles fell victim to a stabbing attack. Tennis fans regard the day as one of the worst in the sport’s history. However, according to Evert, Seles’ injury proved to be an unwanted boon for Steffi Graf.

Evert claimed that Graf won a lot when Seles was injured

Before Evert made the controversial comment, she praised Graf for being a great champion. However, she added, “You can’t overlook the fact that Monica Seles was number one in the world when she got stabbed.”

Evert suggested that Seles staying “out of the game for two and a half years” helped Steffi to cement her own position. According to Evert, Graf “won a lot of her Grand Slam titles” during Seles’ injury layoff.

Seles’ stabbing happened in April 1993, when the former Yugoslav player was facing Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva. During a break, an obsessed Steffi Graf fan stabbed Seles, who needed over two years to recover.

Read More: Monica Seles : Perhaps the greatest ever

What did Steffi Graf win during Seles’ absence?

During Seles’ recovery, Steffi Graf won 5 singles majors. At the 1993 French Open, Graf defeated Mary Joe Fernandez. She won the title again in 1995 after she beat Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

Graf also registered two Wimbledon titles, defeating Jana Novotna and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1993 and 1995 respectively. Last but not least, she defeated Sanchez Vicario in the 1994 Australian Open final.

After Seles’ recovery, Graf met her in the 1995 US Open final. She beat Seles even though Seles proved to be a tough nut to crack for the German.

All in all, what Chris Evert said back in 2018 certainly seems to make some sense. Of course, Graf was a gracious winner and wouldn’t have wished Seles to go through such a horrific injury. However, she did make the most of it on her way to becoming World No. 1 herself.

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